CPC plans women’s shelter

Thursday

Mar 28, 2013 at 1:25 PMMar 28, 2013 at 1:28 PM

Luke Smucker

Pontiac’s Caring Pregnancy Center is hosting Pam Tebow not only as a platform for her positive message, but as a spring board to open a local women’s shelter.CPC officials hope Tebow and Christian musician Phil Joel will draw a large crowd for their program at Pontiac Township High School April 11. Businesses have sponsored their appearances, so proceeds from the $15 ticket price and a free-will donation will go toward opening Elizabeth Home, the planned women’s shelter. “The purpose of the event is not only to get our message out, but to raise enough funds for the Elizabeth Home here in Pontiac,” said CPC Board of Directors member Carrie Rice. “When I studied criminal justice in college, I found that there are more animal shelters than there are women’s shelters in Illinois. People are often amazed by that fact, but it’s reality.”According to a listing of women’s shelters in Illinois on womenshelters.org, there are a total of 53 in Illinois. In contrast, there are 474 animal organization and rescue group listings for the state, according to Petfinder.com, an online database of adoptable pets.“I’m not saying it’s unimportant to have those animal shelters and rescue groups, but we need to remember to take care of each other, too. This event and ultimately the Elizabeth Home will enable our community to help our neighbors in crisis,” said Rice.Darleta Gramm, executive director for the CPC, said the idea for the home is something that has been in the heart of the organization since 1989. Although she was not a part of CPC at that time, Gramm has an old file from that year with the rough draft for a women’s shelter that’s similar to one that is currently being proposed. What reignited the need for the home over the past nine months were three individuals who came to the CPC for help over the summer.“Our walk-in clients were in need of a place to stay,” said Gramm. “We did not have a place for them and I felt it was time to move on this. So we started putting into place our board of directors from a variety of backgrounds.”Those backgrounds include: a pastor, attorney, businessmen and women, a former CPC volunteer and a designer. One member is also the mother of a woman who was homeless at one point.Although the nearest shelter for women is Home Sweet Home Ministries Inc., Bloomington, the Elizabeth Home will be modeled after places like Under His Wings, Ottawa. Under His Wings is a home modeled in the Christian family dynamic, where up to four women and their children live. They are taught vocational skills with the intention that the women can eventually go out into society and be productive without the aid of the government or other organizations. Peoria has what is called Esther House, which is another women’s home Gramm has visited. The Peoria home is structured all day with education, vocational and Bible time, also known as devotional time. “It’s not just somewhere for women to chill out and have their boyfriend over and talk on their cell phone or text all day,” Gramm said of the Peoria home. “They are going to have assignments and chores — like a family in a home, but in a very structured, but caring and nurturing setting.”Currently, Gramm said the CPC only sees their clients once a week for an hour to go over how things are going and what the client can do to improve their situation. Topics like progress on a GED or job finding are discussed and then the CPC doesn’t see the client for a week. With the Elizabeth Home, clients will choose to stay for a length of time needed to prepare them to be productive members of society. “They will be individual, responsible members of society — that is set in stone,” said Gramm. “A married Christian couple will work as full time staff and live at the Elizabeth Home with them. We will teach them kitchen skills, cooking skills, setting the table, table manners and sitting around a conversational dinner table and they will get to watch a couple model a marriage. We find that most of our clients have never seen a good marriage modeled. I will never forget a client who, when I asked what her definition of what love from her boyfriend was, hesitated and said, ‘When he doesn’t beat me.’ They have no idea what a model marriage actually looks like.”Some of the specifics on the shelter are still under discussion. Rice said a separate group of people would be designated to oversee decisions for the Elizabeth Home, under the direction of the CPC.“We may not have an official address for the home, but the vision we have at the CPC will be on display during the event,” said Rice.Gramm was optimistic that even if they can only find a commercial property, it will be turned into a home setting. “It might be a challenge to do, but we have people ready to do the volunteer work that our interior designer and decorators have suggested,” said Gramm. “We believe we can take any place and turn into a cozy setting.”At this point Rice said there are still several hundred tickets left for the event. Tickets can be purchased at Lydia’s Cup, the Caring Pregnancy Center, 201 N. Main St., or online at the CPC website.“This is our chance to be bold as a community,” said Rice. “What is exciting to me is to see people in our community buying tickets not just for themselves, but for their staff, or their friends, or family members, too.”